Dosh Financial Advocacy

Supporting people with a learning disability to be more independent and have more control over their money.

Dosh Financial Advocacy

Supporting people with a learning disability to be more independent and have more control over their money.

Dosh Financial Advocacy

Supporting people with a learning disability to be more independent and have more control over their money.

Dosh Financial Advocacy

Supporting people with a learning disability to be more independent and have more control over their money.

Dosh is 10 – love the job you are in

Dosh is 10 years old today! The idea was born in 2007 that there was a different, better way to support people with their money. This focused on financial advocacy and putting people in control of their money and how this affects their lives. From this idea came Dosh. Since starting to support our first handful of people on 29th November 2007 we have grown to nearly 800 people today! We will be celebrating our 10th anniversary today and over the coming year – look out for a special anniversary newsletter in the new year, stories from people who joined Dosh in the early days and more celebrations. To start us off, our Managing Director for 8 of those 10 years has written about his passion for Dosh, some of his highlights and why he loves the work he does.

By Steve Raw, Managing Director for Dosh

LOVE THE JOB YOU ARE IN – OR WHY I LOVE WORKING FOR DOSH

Celebrating 10 years of financial advocacy for people with a learning disability

One of my mentors is my wife Joyce, we call her the Oracle. Why? Because she is always right. An example of one of her gems was back in 1996 when she said to me: “Steve, you spend a long time at work so it is important you do something you love and enjoy” – that really focused me on deciding what I was going to do as I was being demobbed from the Army (my first career).

Fast forward to this week, on the train coming home from the Dosh Strategy Day in London, I had the best day, working with some incredibly talented, knowledgeable and experienced people on how we could support people with learning disabilities in the next 10 years, and I was buzzing. I looked at my fellow commuters, I may be being unfair but they looked weary. I detected the same weariness in the conversations they were having on their mobiles too. For me though, this is a second career which has lasted 21 years so far and one that I am still incredibly passionate about.

For the last eight years I have had the good fortune of being the Managing Director for Dosh. I told Learning Disability Today magazine in their ‘Me and My job” series the following:

What would be your dream job? “I am already doing it – I love what I do everyday”

What is your ambition? “I reached my professional ambition when I became MD for Dosh”

So why do I love my job? I enjoy being able to be involved in all aspects of our company and our support which includes:

Personally supporting a person with learning disabilities and supporting him with his Individual Budget; being part of his Circle of Support and being involved in all aspects of his life.

Building a winning team which is known for having a “can do” attitude and also seeking out and recruiting talented individuals to our company

Working with Support Providers (sixty at the last count!) and local authority care management teams – especially when I am asked to deliver a presentation (I love talking about Dosh)

Travelling – Yes I actually like doing all that driving across England, Scotland and Wales. I get to see some amazing countryside

Project managing new opportunities. We have just started a new project within Dosh as we gear up to support 1000 people looking at our current structure and reviewing all our systems and processes.

Spending time with great colleagues. Last Friday I was in the grounds of Bury St Edmunds Cathedral for a 1-1 with one of the team – what a way to finish the week!!

And the important part of being MD – Strategic Management. Business Planning! Thinking and planning our Strategic Direction which includes our growth, our marketing and the never ending challenge to do something completely different for our company and the people we support (at least once a month).

Doing stuff that you have a passion for helps you to maintain and have stronger mental health. In your quieter moments, acknowledging that you are doing something that you are passionate about can give you a sense of well-being and contentment.

With passion comes a high level of enthusiasm for what you do. I have found this to be contagious not only do your friends benefit, but also your family.

Passion is energy. Feel the power that comes from focusing on what excites you.

Oprah Winfrey

Here my top 5 tips for finding your passion:

What do you have strong emotions for – make them visual so write them down, better still draw a picture for each one

You need to find something that has a ‘purpose’: will it make a difference in another person’s life?

Think about what you are good at, would it pay you a living too? When you have both, not only do you find your passion you feel successful.

What excites you: what would make you get out of bed earlier than you really need to? I fling the bed sheets back at 5am every morning, yep even the weekends I can’t wait to start my day and find out what www.dosh.org are up to.

Dream big: “Every great dream begins with a dreamer. Always remember, you have within you the strength, the patience, and the passion to reach for the stars to change the world.” – Harriet Tubman

As a young 15 year old heading towards the Army Recruiting Office in Middlesbrough while my school mates headed in a different direction towards their interviews for ICI Apprenticeships as Welders and Platers, I thought that if I didn’t love what I was going to do I wouldn’t be able to do it with much conviction or passion. I felt the same way when I entered into the world of supporting people with learning disabilities.

There is no passion to be found playing small–in settling for a life that is less than the one you are capable of living.